Principal certification (M Ed)

This is a master of education degree in educational leadership and policy analysis with an emphasis in PK-12 educational leadership and administration – elementary and secondary principal certification.

This master of education (MEd) degree program is a hybrid online/face-to-face principal preparation program specifically designed for practicing teachers. In this program, students examine best practices, build strong professional networks and get ready to transform schools.

For additional information about exact required courses and the typical semesters they are offered, please visit Mizzou Online.

A Serious Mission

Our overall focus is on developing engaged leaders, policy makers, and scholars who demonstrate excellence in leading educational institutions, implementing and analyzing policy, and enacting social justice. As an aspiring leader in our principal preparation program, learning from Mizzou’s expert practitioners and scholars, you will:

Continue your full-time work in PK12 schools

Attend graduate classes that fit your work schedule during the summer, over weekends, and online. Summer classes are scheduled every weekend in

July (excluding July 4, should it fall on a weekend)

Receive individual, face-to-face advising from faculty who have worked as principals and/or superintendents

Complete a series of internships that prepare you to apply for certification to lead elementary and secondary schools

Degree Requirements

Students in this program spend about 15 months working with a cohort of peers to complete purposeful course work and field-based inquiry in a variety of education contexts. The program starts in June and finishes in August of the following year; students are enrolled in six to nine credit hours each semester (two summers, one fall, one spring). Completion of the degree leads to Missouri Initial Principal Certification at the elementary and secondary levels.

Focused topics include:

Data-driven and evidence-based decision-making

School improvement

Ethics and policymaking

Provision of professional development

Finance and law in schools

Politics of school leadership

Cohort courses begin in June each year. First-year students should reserve Thursdays (5-9 pm) and Fridays (8:30 am-5 pm) in June, and reserve Thursdays (5-9 pm), Fridays (8:30 am-5 pm), and Saturdays (8:30 am-5 pm) during July. (Classes will not occur during the weekend around July 4.)

Required Internships and State Assessments

Field-based, internships must be completed throughout the duration of the program (ED_LPA 9481). Students will be eligible for certification at both the elementary and secondary levels. The internships will be completed over 3 semesters, 2 semesters at the level at which you believe you will seek a principal position and the third at the other level.

Students must pass a “capstone” exam at the completion of their graduation semester. This capstone exam is designed to prepare students for their state certification content assessment and their future work as building-level leaders.

In addition, students must pass two assessments for state certification. First, students must register for the state-required Educational Testing Service (ETS) Performance-Based Assessment during their fall and spring semesters of internship. Although the actual assessment is not covered or scored during coursework, it is necessary to complete it during the internship included in the master’s program. Second, students will take a multiple-choice, constructed-response content assessment developed by Pearson at the completion of the program.

The ELPA department will cover the cost for students to take this content assessment within 6 months of their program completion. In order to qualify for the cost to be covered, you must notify the department of your intention to take the examination at the start of the academic semester in which you plan to complete the assessment. Prior to resistering for the examination using the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments portal, you will contact the department to request a voucher number that you will use to defray the examination cost.

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Admission Requirements

Baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution

Minimum GPA of 3.0 (A = 4.0) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate education

Minimum scores established by MU’s Graduate Faculty Senate for TOEFL or IELTS exams for non-native English speakers

Completed Missouri Educator Profile (MEP). This assessment is designed to measure a person’s work style as it relates to the field of education. The MEP began in September 2013 and is now required as a part of the admission program for all certification programs, including school leadership. The profile assesses the characteristics of individuals pursuing certification as a building or district-level administrator. The resulting report does not affect admission but will help advisers plan the best direction for students new to the program. Get more information about Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments.

Three letters of recommendation (at least 2 of which should be from faculty who instructed or academically advised the applicant)

GRE scores are not required

Application Deadlines

Applications are reviewed once each year. Application review begins March 1 and continues through April 1.

Assistantships

In rare instances, a minimal number of departmental research teaching assistantships are available for qualified students who are not working full time. Priority is given to doctoral students; however, interested master’s students are encouraged to apply.